No comments about Island of Saints.

No comments about Basil of Caesarea (Transformation of the Classical Heritage, 20).

No comments about Bernard of Clairvaux: Between Cult and History.

3 comments about Moses: A Memoir.

1. Although not a biblical scholar, I was intrigued by Ralph Blumenthal of the New York Times' glorious review of Joel Cohen's interpretation of the inner thoughts of Moses. Unable to discern from the review whether "Moses: A Memoir" was a scholarly work, a novel, or a psychological treatise I was fascinated enough by the concept to put the book on the top of my reading list. Needless to say, as anyone who is fortunate enough to have read the book, it is all three. Mr. Cohen brilliantly weaves biblical passages in and out of stunningly written prose, leaving the bilblical neophyte, such as myself, wanting to go back and re-read the bible, and the biblical scholar with much to ponder and debate. This book is a gem.



2. Although I am not an expert in the field of bible study and while my writing is mostly confined to trade journals, this work provided tremendous insight for me into the inner thoughts of this complex individual who led the Jewish People during a monumental period in their history. No doubt an expert in Bible Studies would also benefit from this structured, well written book. It certainly encouraged me to get my bible off the bookshelf.



3. 
   
   Joel Cohen has written a special book that personalizes Moses and brings him to life. Cohen's account forces the reader to reflect on our everyday challenges and to realize that they are part of life. Cohen weaves historical and biblical context in a very modern treatment of Moses. If you think your pack is heavy, Moses and Cohen make it seem much lighter. Terrific piece of work. This is one author that should consider quitting his day job.

No comments about Life of Saint Paul, The.

No comments about Folk Like Me: The Read-Aloud Book of Saints.

3 comments about Breathtaking.

1. This book tracks the story of a young woman who must deal with the complications of Cystic Fibrosis (CF) while trying her best to live the normal life of any other girl. In desperate need of a lung transplant, Amber sees that only God's hand can save and she has to give all of her concerns and dreams to Him and His will. Out of her own letters and the words of her closest friends, who prayed for hope for and with her every step of the way, this story shows how faith can truly save when you must give up everything.
   I bought this book soon after it was released and have loaned it to other people already. They get so hooked to it that it is read in less than a week. An intense but quickly finished book, you leave wanting to know what God has in mind for Amber's future, knowing that it will bring more glory to His kingdom.



2. Breathtaking is not your everyday biography. Breathtaking is a collection of e-mails, journaling, and reflections of a young woman who was literally walking through the valley of the shadow of death, yet who had no fear because she knew God had a plan for her life. This book touched me and held me in its grasp. It is a real story, written by a real person who shares her reality of waiting for a needed double-lung transplant even as her body continues to fail. Amber confidently knew she was safely wrapped in the loving arms of her Heavenly Father. While suffering is part of life and Amber's dealing with her suffering reflects her deep-rooted and unshakeable faith in a loving God, the breathtaking pinnacle is reached as Amber receives her long-awaited and desperately-needed lungs. This book reflects a walk of faith with a real God by someone who only wants God's best and will not settle for anything less. This book is about unrelentless passion - for God's glory alone. It's a tremendous and encouraging story of faith, hope, peace, joy and love for an Almighty God that will reinforce the fact that He is our refuge and strength and that He alone is all-sufficient.



3. Breathtaking was not what I expected. I found the book diffecult to "get into"; difficult to follow; and I couldn't finish it. I will try again. but, at this point I would say to readers to go directly to the Bible; work and read your way through it.
   
   I do applaud the energy and commitment it took to write this book.

5 comments about Rumi: Past and Present, East and West: The Life, Teachings and Poetry of Jalal al-Din Rumi.

1. At the time of Rumi/Molana/Molavi/Jalaledin Mohammad Balkhi and many tens of centuries before it and centuries after, there was no country called Afghanistan (how could he be an Afghani when Afghanistan didn't exist). I fully understand this is besides the message he conveys in his books, however from a scholarly point of view it would be appropriate to identify his country appropriately. Dari and Persian are the same language (two names for the same language), my friend Dari is short for Darbari, the language of Iran (Persia).



2. "Light a fire of love within your soul," Rumi tells us, "burn up these thoughts and words from head to toe" (p. 400). In his impressive, 686-page scholarly study of Jalal al-Din Rumi, Persian scholar Franklin Lewis illuminates the man behind the thirteenth century mystic poet and preacher. Through his meticulous research, Lewis, a professor at Emory University in Atlanta, offers us "a glimpse" into Rumi's life, as well as new insights into Rumi's teachings, widely-popular poetry, and modern influence.

   "Three short phrases tell the story of my life," Rumi said, "I was raw, I got cooked, I burned" (p. 404). Many of the biographical details of Rumi's life remain unknown. ""Most of what we know about Rumi," Lewis writes, "comes to us clouded by a heavy mist of myth and legend" (p. 272). We follow Rumi from his birth to an Islamic preacher in September, 1207 (p. 272) to his death on December 17, 1273 (p. 276). Along the way, Lewis reveals that his subject married at a young age, about seventeen (p. 320), fathered two children, pursued legal and religious studies in Aleppo and Damascus (p. 273), became a lawyer or professor of law (pp. 123, 274), married again (after his first wife died) and fathered at least two more children (p. 320) before his death. Lewis also examines Rumi's relationship with Shams al-Din Tabrizi, the encounter that transformed Rumi's spirituality; "he became more ecstatic in his worship, expressing his love for God not only in a careful attitude of self-renunciation and control, but also through the joy of poetry, music and meditative dance" (p. 274). Rumi and Shams became "Sufi Bohemians," tasting life for themselves. Their path involved "disciplining and training one's soul, watching over one's heart and concentrating the mind on God" (p. 34). Rumi tells us that "the law of religion is like a candle that shows us the way; without that candle we cannot even set foot on the spiritual path. Once the way is lit with the light of the law, the wayfarer begins his spiritual quest" (p. 37). When Shams disappeared mysteriously, we witness Rumi's "frenetic quest to recover the vision of this spiritual guide turned inward" to the point where Rumi discovers Shams "within himself" (p. 275). Inspired by this remarkable relationship, Rumi composed more than 60,000 lines of verse (p. 314). Lewis includes a sampling of fifty Rumi poems in his book.

   Lewis tells us that his book should be considered a starting point, at best, for understanding Rumi. Although it should not be considered "the final and definitive biography of Rumi," Lewis writes, it is "intended, then, as a kind of Rumi bible, a manual for anyone interested in the life, poetry, teachings and influence of Jalal al-Din Rumi, who has been called the greatest poet of mankind. The whirling dervishes plant one foot on the floor with their toes fixed around a wooden peg and turn in Rumi's memory. In like manner, I hope this book will help ground all lovers of Rumi as they circle, moth-like, around the flame of his works" (pp. 8-9).

   G. Merritt




3. If I could give this book TEN STARS, I would. Prof. Franklin Lewis has done a superlative job in bringing out different facets of Mawlana Jalal al-Din Rumi and his father Baha al-Din, his mentor Borhan al-Din, his charismatic awakener Shams al-Din, along the way clearing up various myths and baseless rumors about these men. Not only does Prof. Lewis paint a full picture of the context for Rumi's development, he gives us a long, in-depth analysis of various phases of Mawlana's life, then provides a shorter "recap" synopsis of his career; presents us with exciting, authentic translations of 50 Rumi poems; gives us a candid assessment of various translators old and new of Rumi's works; outlines the interesting history of the manuscripts of his works; traces the history of the Mevlevi Order; and much more (among other things, I was grateful for his mention of the excellent but relatively unknown Rumi translator Ibrahim Gamard, whose website on Rumi is a goldmine of excellent scholarly translations of many sections of the Masnavi, the Divan, etc. And while your at it, also see Iranian-American poet Zara Houshmand's excellent rhyming translations of Rumi's quatrains at www.iranian.com)
   
   Anyone at all interested in Mawlana in more than a passing fashion simply MUST have Prof. Lewis' Rumi book on their shelves. What a treasure trove!
   
   Now, here's hoping that Prof. Lewis will turn his considerable talents to expand his doctoral dissertation on Hakim Sana'i (d.1131) into a lengthy book on that great Persian Sufi poet-sage (who was such an inspiration to Rumi). And, maybe further down the road, he'll bring us books on Farid al-Din Attar and the later Persian poet Hafiz?? Here's hoping...
   
   Just this one fine book on Rumi is a lifetime achievement.



4. I agree with the other reviewers that the scholarship that went into creating this biography of Rumi and his historical era was exceptional. The level of detail present in this book would be hard to come by in a biography of a more recent historical figure.
   
   My one issue with this book is the general lack of Rumi's poems. I would estimate that there were about 30 or so full poems translated in this book. Clearly, the writer's focus was on Rumi's life, but why title it "...The Life, Teachings and Poetry..." if only to include a brief sampling of the poet's works. Rumi was a mystical poet who translated his life and religious understanding into his work. Without a greater breadth of his work, it is hard to understand who he is. I was all the more disappointed by this because the translations in the book were excellent. He wisely decided to translate the content into a lyrical form suitable to English rather than trying to imitate the original Persian poetic forms that Rumi used.
   
   I feel like this book could have been more complete with more poems. Don't buy this book expecting to read much of his work. Buy this book if you want detailed scholarship on Rumi, his teachers, and his times.



5. It is hard to review this book. Althought it is supremely scholarly, it ironically enough falls within the classic trap it discusses: too much scholarliness, not enough spirituality. The author never met a fact he didn't like and put into this book. Whole chapters discuss the second cousins and third generation disciples and whatnot. The book is nearly 700 pages long, telling you everything you ever wanted to know about everything remotely connected to Rumi (though we never do get his shoe size, dang!) but there are only two chapters that really are of interest -- one chapter of poetry translations, and one on his teachings. That's about 50 pages. There is a huge amount of repetition -- no editor seems to have been in touch with this book -- and long lists that could easily have been in footnotes. The only redeeming quality of the other 650 pages is that the author quite sardonically eviscerates the various pseudo-translations, tells us which scholars did what and has a lot to say about the weird folk who have adopted Sufism. So a couple of stars. But if you want this author at his best, go straight to his volume of translations -- Swallowed by the Sun.

5 comments about Einstein and Religion.

1. I think Jammer does us a fine service by writing a book about a subject that is too often neglected. Not that Einstein's religious views were ever unknown, but it is surprising that this seems to be the first book devoted to this subject.
   
   The exchanges between Einstein and Rabbi Geller are for me an important new piece of information (see pp. 85-86), as is Einstein's denial of free will in his letter to Besso (p. 87). But interestingly, Jammer neglects to mention Einstein's letter to Otto Juliusburger, who in 1946 tried to assess Hitler's responsibility for the Holocaust. Einstein's reply would not now be considered politically correct (at least in Jammer's Israel): "You take a definite stance on Hitler's responsibility... Objectively, there is after all no free will. What need is there for a criterion for responsibility?" Einstein was of course a sworn enemy of Hitler (and so should he be). But this statement is so amazing that I think Jammer was wrong to omit it. He should have quoted this statement, while emphasizing that Einstein blamed Hitler and the Germans for their evil deeds and he never forgave them. (Most of these quotes, especially if from private letters, are kept in the multi-volume "Collected Papers of Albert Einstein" published by Princeton UP and the Hebrew University of Jerusalem.)
   
   In one of the more interesting quotes in this book, Einstein believed quantum mechanics has no practically relevant impact on his deterministic view of life-events. But in this connection Jammer fails to mention how Bohr's complementarity could be applied to Einstein's determinism with satisfactory results - even though Jammer has a third of the book devoted to speculation about how science now affects philosophical and religious matters. (Despite this, there are some important Einstein quotes in this chapter as well.)
   
   It is obvious that Einstein rejected the notion that quantum uncertainty undermines his denial of free will because he rejected quantum mechanics itself. Jammer points out that Einstein was wrong about locality, which was one of his main objections to quantum mechanics. Jammer cites Bell's theorem (p. 226) and the Aspect experiments as proving nonlocality, and claims that Einstein's belief in locality and his determinism are two basic tenets of his philosophy, as they indeed appear to be. But Jammer's implication seems to be that if Einstein got locality wrong, perhaps he was completely wrong about quantum mechanics, hence about quantum uncertainty, thus about determinism, thus about...his denial of free will? In other words, if Einstein was wrong about locality, he might have been wrong about determinism too. If Einstein was mistaken about one basic tenet of his philosophy, what makes us think he was right about the other? What Jammer fails to realize is that it was John Bell himself who said that strict determinism could well be the only way to make nonlocality compatible with all those horrible paradoxes like faster-than-light signals which contradict Special Relativity. In Bell's opinion, Einstein might have been wrong about nature being local, but strict determinism of which Einstein was always convinced might not be wrong after all. This is such an important point that I think Jammer should have discussed it, especially in Chapter 3, where he discusses his (Jammer's) own views on Einstein's philosophy.
   
   On a more trivial note, Jammer is wrong that Einstein picked up his denial of the freedom of the will from Spinoza. The fact is, Einstein got this idea first from Schopenhauer, then from Hume, and only later from Spinoza. I was disappointed how Jammer has throughout this book neglected the importance of Schopenhauer and Hume in Einstein's philosophical and religious development. I would agree though that Einstein's "cosmic religion" came from Spinoza.
   
   Jammer is at pains to emphasize that he doesn't proselytize or paddle any religious or sectarian viewpoints. He succeeds in this regard, in my opinion. What he does clearly try to convey, though, is the impression that religion in general and science are not in conflict, and he quotes Einstein's facetiously ambiguous statement "Science without religion is blind; religion with science is lame" (or something to this effect) to prove this point, almost ad nauseum. I'm not sure Jammer has convinced me. But Einstein's statements about religion are often ambiguous and confusing enough to provide plenty of material for someone with a secret ax to grind to quote from. On the other hand, Einstein was quite adamant and clear in (1) his determinism, (2) his denial of the immortality of the soul (which Einstein did not believe exist apart from the brain), and (3) his denial of a personal God. Jammer does a good job of faithfully reporting these views. This is not as easy a task as it seems, because (1) clearly conflicts with the deeply held beliefs of most people and the basic dogmas of Christian, Catholic, and Jewish religions; because (3) conflicts with all major religions excepting Buddhism; and because (2) conflicts with ALL religions, past and present. So I think Jammer has shown his competence here.
   
   A "B-" effort. I hope someday someone will come up with an even better one. Right now this is the best we have.



2. I think Jammer has not done a thorough enough job on Einstein's denial of free will. I have many books on and about Einstein and I know of many instances in which he made his strict determinism clear. Here is room for improvement.
   
   Jammer is wrong to imply that Einstein's initial belief in a static universe was the result of reading Spinoza. The fact is, many scientists at the time believed in a static universe, and probably most of them had never read Spinoza. Indeed, when Hubble showed that our universe was (and still is) expanding, the scientifc community was taken by surprise. I don't think Spinoza had anything to do with this.
   
   Jammer has said little about the importance of Hume and Schopenhauer to Einstein's philosophical and scientific views. This is a mistake. Hume and Schopenhauer were at least as important to Einstein as Spinoza. The neglect of Schopenhauer may have something to do with the philosopher's antisemitism. But Schopenhauer remained Einstein's favorite philosopher. In his study Einstein had pictures of Newton, Maxwell, Faraday, and Schopenhauer - the sole philosopher of the lot. Einstein quoted from him often on a wide range of subjects. If Schopenhauer was an antisemite, that's because he was such a misanthrope. In fact, he disliked Germans even more (and he was one of them).
   
   I agree that locality and determinism were two of Einstein's fundamental beliefs. Jammer reports with glee that locality has been proven wrong. So therefore determinism may also be wrong, he seems to imply. But according to John Bell, nonlocality may actually prove strict determinism to be right! (I don't believe Einstein was wrong about determinism as an objective fact, even though his interpretation of quantum mechanics may be wrong. The fact is, Heisenberg uncertainty shows up only during measurements; isolated systems are strictly deterministic. Of course, no one knows where this uncertainty comes from - hence the mystery.)
   
   I think that on the whole this book is good. But Jammer places far too much emphasis on Einstein's "Religion without science is blind; science without religion is lame" as though this remark, probably made tongue in cheek, summarized Einstein's religious views. I doubt it. Even if it does, this by no means imply this is an unassailable truth. Steven Weinberg believes that science and religion are antagonistic, one representing knowledge, the other representing ignorance. I agree with Weinberg.



3. Do not be deceived by the welcoming jacket on this book. This is primarily an academic text.
   
   The subtitle is "physics and theology" and not the other way around. This may be deliberate, because although the book actually starts with an emphasis on theology it evolves (or devolves, depending on your perspective) into a treatise on advanced physics.
   
   Despite Jammer's sometimes ackward English and despite the fact that portions read like a master's thesis in philosophy - the book is most accessible on the theological side. The reader gets insight into the spiritual side of Einstein. Jammer shows conclusively that Einstein did believe in God and does a reasonably good job presenting the philisophical underpinnings of Einstein's beliefs.
   
   Unless you have studied advanced quantum physics the second part of this book is very tough going.



4. By some accounts Albert Einstein (1879-1955) was the greatest theoretical physicist of the twentieth century, if not of all time. Max Jammer, Professor of Physics Emeritus and former Rector at Bar-Ilan University in Israel, has written an eminently readable account of Einstein's thoughts on religion, a subject that he insists has been ignored by the over 400 books on Einstein published in the last several decades. Einstein renounced accusations that he was an atheist, and railed against the intolerance of those whom he called "the fanatical atheists." In his three long chapters Jammer portrays Einstein as "undogmatic and yet profoundly religious."
   
   In his first chapter Jammer treats the role of religion in Einstein's private life. Born to what he described as "entirely irreligious Jewish parents," Einstein attended a Catholic primary school where like all students he received religious instruction. From the influences of nature and music he developed pronounced religious feelings quite early, although by age twelve he became estranged from institutional religion (although not from religion as he would define it) through reading some popular scientific books. His first wife, Mileva Maric, was Greek Orthodox, and his last wishes were to be cremated rather than to be buried in any religious tradition. Einstein was decidedly irreligious in the sense that he rejected any and all institutional affiliations, never attended worship services or prayed, rejected all dogmatic theology (eg, miracles, the afterlife or prayer), did not believe that God was in any sense personal, and was a strict determinist. But he found it impossible not to think of himself as religious in the sense of humility and awe at the mystery, rationality and complexity of nature: "the eternal mystery of the world is its comprehensibility." Behind the mystery of nature there seemed to be some superior intelligence: "I believe in Spinoza's God who reveals himself in the orderly harmony of what exists, not in a God who concerns himself with the fates and actions of human beings."
   
   Chapter two explores what Einstein wrote about religion (he studiously avoided using the word "theology"). As a convinced determinist Einstein did not believe in human free will. He viewed science and religion as complementary rather than as antagonistic, seen in his famous aphorism that "science without religion is lame, religion without science is blind." Science cannot determine ethics or inform us of ultimate purpose or meaning, thought Einstein, for "knowledge of what is does not open the door directly to what should be." Science could never, then, displace or supercede religion. In his final and longest chapter, Jammer examines the possible ramifications of Einstein's theory of relativity and rejection of quantum mechanics ("God," wrote Einstein in 1926, "does not play dice.") for theological ideas like time, eternity, creation ex nihilo, and the Big Bang. Einstein himself rather disingenuously denied that there was any relationship between his physics and theology.
   
   Well-known for his aversion to social convention and defiance of authority, Einstein used a paradox to summarize his personal beliefs and professional thoughts about religion. About a year before he died Einstein wrote in a letter that he understood himself to be a "deeply religious unbeliever." He rejected any and all notions of traditional, institutional religion, but he just as vociferously repudiated atheists who tried to claim him for their cause. Rather, he embraced something like grateful and humble Cosmic Awe at the beauty and complexity of the world he strove so mightily to understand.



5. On page seventy-five Jammer writes "As he once explained to a Japanese scholar, a deep feeling and his belief in a superior mind that reveals itself in the world of expeirence represent his concept of God." That's where I started to really fall for this book. When Jammer quotes Protestant Paul Tillich (passages written in 1940) and Catholic Hans Kung--both prominent Professors of Christian theology--on Einstein's denial of a personal God, I was in love with the book, now better understanding the theological term "a personal God" from the "Jewish-Christain" Tradition. One wonders if Einstein could have read what his friend Max Jammer has written whether Einstein would have softened or even overturned his statements about his denial of a personal God. Also, once Tillich's (with Hans Kung) and Einstein's ideas are laid out together, Einstein's views don't seem to have deserved the public outrage that they received in the 1930's onward by prominent members of the Catholic Church, Protestant Christians, and Orthodox Rabbis. As Max Jammer points out, it's not as if any of Einstein's critics believe that God is a mere person with all our faults and imperfections. In that sense no orthodox Rabbi, Preist, or Preacher would claim to believe in a personal God either.

No comments about No Price I Bring.